[Dust_Harl]

Apologies for the delay in posting my first ride impression. Let me try and respond to some of the queries posted in last three to four days to best of my effort.

Yes it is a 2015 bike and not 2016 and I could decode my VIN and it indicated that it is 2015 make. RTO issues are sorted out in Bangalore and they have started to register the bike. While my friend got his vehicle Reg number, I am still on TR and planning to send my bike for Reg this week.

My first ride was to Sira which is about ~ 120 kms from my place each way and overall the 220+ Kms ride was awesome and thoroughly enjoyed the bike. It seemed to check all the right boxes for me and at any point did not regret the buy at all. While the bike is 215 kgs on paper, you literally don't feel the weight and it is very easy to maneuver. The turning radius is pretty short needs less space than many bikes I have ridden. Example a Kawazaki z800 or an Harley requires hell a lot of spaces for U turn while this can be maneuvered very easily. I could take the bike on few narrow lanes without much effort and even standing on the foot pegs on slow speed is quiet easy and comfortable.

Suspension is top notch and the brakes are simply amazing. I had to panic brake in a service road on sighting a speed breaker and I could feel the ABS kicking in and the bike stops pretty well and more importantly it stops.

The riding position is upright and at no point you feel stressed on your wrist and the handle bar positioning in my opinion is as good as a cruiser. Cornering is pretty comfortable and the bike sticks to the ground very well and I could take few curves at ease as if I am riding this bike for couple of years now. Overall I was able to connect with the bike very well and at no point did I feel I need to be cautious or over cautious like I was on my Harley for the first time.

Has amazing pick-up and accelerates pretty well to 3 digit speeds. While I was following the running-in recommendations as mentioned in the manual and maintaining it between 4000 & 5000 RPM, my friend was all set to break the virginity of his bike and was riding across all rev ranges hitting some good speed very comfortably.

With regards to the height, the bike is definitely tall and very comfortable for people who are 6ft and more. I am 6 ft and for me the bike is very nimble and handles very well. Having said this some of my friends who are 5 9' or 5 10' did try the bike and they did not have any problem planting their legs on the ground. Suspension settings may play little bit of a role here and if you are well built and around 5 '10 then definitely may lower the bike height a little. Not that I am joking here but on a two up riding, people who are little short could plant their legs down pretty well compared to one up.

I agree with Haroon and Jaggu that you need to test ride the bike extensively especially if you are 5 10' or 5 9' and if you are anything less than 5 9' then pls. re-look at your decision on buying this . Highway riding will definitely not be an issue but city rides might be a pain in case you cannot plant both your legs completely. But all said and done, the bike performed very well in bumper to bumper without much heat. the radiator fan kicked in couple of times while I was in the traffic and seems to be doing it's business pretty well. In my case, the baseline is Harley so the opinion might change based on your baseline.

Finally Kitna deti hai? It is 24.9 for me as indicated in the display.

Here are few pics from our ride and apologize as these were from my phone and not the camera. I wanted to enjoy my ride than the photo shoot and hence did not carry my camera. Will take few proper pics and post a ownership thread once I much few more miles.

With regards to accessories, you need to shell out at least about 50K to 75K for some basic musts like crash bar, fork, slider, radiator guard, 3M paint protector, tank pad and maybe paddock stand, center stand or V system. If you extend beyond the basic musts, then sky is the limit.

[dkaile]

Congratulations Dust_Harl for the new acquisition. Ride Safe...

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by techfreak

Regarding my delivery, now it will be end of month or sometime in March. And best part is the vehicle is going to be home delivered packed alongwith dealers mechanic to unpack n handover at home.
True ONLINE BIKE purchase. ����

Your situation is hilarious. Buying a bike ONLINE

Btw, where are you located and purchasing from which city? Your profile picture says LEH

What was the total costing for your bike?

Originally Posted by Dust_Harl

Apologies for the delay in posting my first ride impression

Congrats D_H. Thanks for the short report from your first ride

I am personally glad to know this feedback as it makes more sense than what you read on the web even if most of the reviews from popular websites are usually spot-on

Your review has made my decision even more firm that this "IS" the bike to go for if you want to do a bit of everything at a reasonable price ( And, that's exactly most of us here want)

Can you please respond with your feedback for few queries?

1. How is the pick-up and initial acceleration say compared to your Harley ( not sure which Harley you owned before)

2. What speeds were achieved in the range that you were in ( 4000-5000rpm)?

3. Since you come from a Harley and used to torque ( I am a big fan of torque and initial acceleration). Is the V650 characteristic similar? I mean hope you didn't have to revv it's guts out to come into the power band? I like to twist the throttle as little as possible as I love the power at lower revv range

4. Is Dunlop the make of tyres for all V650 bikes delivered in India?

5. From the pictures the bike doesn't look that tall. Same case with V1000. But, when I saw the bike in person it was quite intimidating as it was simply too big. How is V650 road presence?

6. Finally, how much it costed you OTR Bangalore and what accessories have you installed or plan to install?

Cheers and Ride Safe !!!

[Jet-thrust]

Dust harl, Thanks for the first ride impressions.

Which accessories have you bought? Pl post pics of those too.
I noticed one of the bikes has a different horn and a side stand foot enlarger.

[navin_v8]

Originally Posted by Dust_Harl

Apologies for the delay in posting my first ride impression.

Dust_Harl mate thanks a lot for the short review. The very first one on TeamBHP. Looks like the Versys650 does what it promises.

While the bike is 215 kgs on paper, you literally don't feel the weight and it is very easy to maneuver. The turning radius is pretty short needs less space than many bikes I have ridden.

I have always been saying this mate, your experience will shatter the perceptions of those who think 200+ kgs is handful for such a class of motorcycles.

Suspension is top notch and the brakes are simply amazing. I had to panic brake in a service road on sighting a speed breaker and I could feel the ABS kicking in and the bike stops pretty well and more importantly it stops.

The riding position is upright and at no point you feel stressed on your wrist and the handle bar positioning in my opinion is as good as a cruiser. Cornering is pretty comfortable and the bike sticks to the ground very well and I could take few curves at ease as if I am riding this bike for couple of years now. Overall I was able to connect with the bike very well and at no point did I feel I need to be cautious or over cautious like I was on my Harley for the first time.

Has amazing pick-up and accelerates pretty well to 3 digit speeds. While I was following the running-in recommendations as mentioned in the manual and maintaining it between 4000 & 5000 RPM, my friend was all set to break the virginity of his bike and was riding across all rev ranges hitting some good speed very comfortably.

That the beauty of an ADV tourer mate. Enjoy. I am envious of you.

With regards to the height, the bike is definitely tall and very comfortable for people who are 6ft and more. I am 6 ft and for me the bike is very nimble and handles very well. Having said this some of my friends who are 5 9' or 5 10' did try the bike and they did not have any problem planting their legs on the ground. Suspension settings may play little bit of a role here and if you are well built and around 5 '10 then definitely may lower the bike height a little. Not that I am joking here but on a two up riding, people who
are little short could plant their legs down pretty well compared to one up.

I agree with Haroon and Jaggu that you need to test ride the bike extensively especially if you are 5 10' or 5 9' and if you are anything less than 5 9' then pls. re-look at your decision on buying this . Highway riding will definitely not be an issue but city rides might be a pain in case you cannot plant both your legs completely.

I remember asking the same question to my mech while he was working on the iconic ADV motorcycle the Honda Africa Twin(old model) which apparently belongs to a famous Bollywood actor(who is coincidentally the brand ambassador of Honda). My mech is barely 5.5" and he replied he plants just one feet on the ground and is able to manage it. Also Veeramati has posted about him managing his Triumph Tiger while he is 5.6". So I think one should be able to handle it with proper technique.

Congrats and Ride Safe.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Your review has made my decision even more firm that this "IS" the bike to go for

Avi mate I deliberately left the second line of your post. Being an ADV Tourer nut that I am here's another option for you to consider from the house of Honda. Yes the legendary Honda Africa Twin(soon to be launched in 2016 second half and manufactured in India).

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/2016-a...po-2016-a.html

post no. 2

Hope I have confused you.

[Red Liner]

The Africa twin will be nothing less than 12 big ones considering we all know of Hondas over enthusiastic pricing in recent years.

[nasirkaka]

@nasirkaka, a friend of mine test rode the versys.
He's 5'9" and was able comfortably place his feet on the ground in normal shoes, though his heels were an inch above ground.(Though height isn't always commensurate with leg length and inseam.) He went to up to 135kmph and said the handling was spot on.
In traffic, it was easily flickable and well balanced.

So, I think your fears are unfounded. Cheers

Thanks! I am 5'9" as well and could do the same ie place both the toes on the ground. In future, i will do some research and see if there is any aftermarket seat which can reduce the height a bit. Would have been so nice if kawa had thought of height adjustable seat for the south east Asian ethnography.

@nasirkaka I have also had a very longish test drive and the handling of Versys is spot on. But just to compare if you can ride a bullet {any model}, you will find Versys nimble. Though you can't n shouldn't compare it with Duke 390.

Regarding height I am 5 10 and I was flat footing with a formal shoe, so with your height and a shoe with a little heel you would be absolutely home, just no worry.

How you managed a test ride? In Bangalore, test rides will only start once the initial orders are taken care of and there is a spare bike.
In one of my C5 sear modification process, i had added about an inch of extra foam, which had considerable increased the seat height. Initially it felt a bit odd, but with time i got used to it. Later i made another seat with plate etc, which ofcourse was lower then OEM.

Nasirkaka,

As I have mentioned earlier, the height and weight combination can be a handful in slow traffic or pushing bike scenarios, I came from bullet machismo to tiger xcx, bullet mass is at waist, tiger mass is almost at chest level.
Aside from initial cost of bike, what gets you is cost of accessories, protection and luggage components. I have laid out 1L+ for luggage and protection and approx 75K (yesterday) for dainese gear (I did not get a jacket, else head to toe I am in dainese gear). This will play a crucial cost component, but you have walked into this eyes wide open.
If you go bonnie route, leaving out suspension part compared to versys, you can use bullet luggage systems which are significantly more cost effective.
I hope I have confused you sufficiently.

Don't worry, of you have return a bullet, you will be thrilled with what you can do on this bike, only criterion choose before hand, where you are going to place your foot and which one. This is what I do, I 5'6" riding a tiger with lowest seat position and steel toed cat shoes.

My suggestion, go for it, you will take to the versys like fish to water.

Thanks. Thats confusing but comforting.
It took a lot of heart to slice off the bonnie and the scrambler and choose the versys mainly for suspension, and the fact that versys is more tuned for touring. I love the charm these old school retro themed bikes have. Maybe someday!
Will try and get some must have accessories for the bike, mainly protectors to begin with. For gear, may look at a riding oriented shoe with high sole. For jacket, i have a very old 2007 HD perforated leather jacket (most expensive piece of apparel i have ever bought), which is still going good. Plus an almost worn-out Alpinestar mesh jacket from which i can extract some more life. Now hoping they deliver the bike by this friday as promised.

Apologies for the delay in posting my first ride impression. Let me try and respond to some of the queries posted in last three to four days to best of my effort.

Thanks for the detailed first impression. Sure does settle a few doubts which were creeping in mind. Can you please share details on the accessories which u have installed/ intend to, and where to procure them from. Web link etc would be super helpful. Wishing you a long and memorable association with your new machine!!

[shan_ned]

While Dust_Harl is busy admiring his Versys , Let me chip in for the 2 questions you have asked.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Your situation is hilarious. Buying a bike ONLINE

Can you please respond with your feedback for few queries?

2. What speeds were achieved in the range that you were in ( 4000-5000rpm)?

3. Since you come from a Harley and used to torque ( I am a big fan of torque and initial acceleration). Is the V650 characteristic similar? I mean hope you didn't have to revv it's guts out to come into the power band? I like to twist the throttle as little as possible as I love the power at lower revv range

Speed per 1000 RPM in 6th Gear: 21.5 Kmph.
4000 RPM - 86 kmph (True speed). Indicated speed (at least on the Ninja 650) is around 88 to 89 kmph.
FYI: Ninja 650 and Versys 650 share the same gear ratios.

Torque characteristic: Based on my experience riding the Ninja version, it has a good low end torque (around 2500 to 3000 rpm). Nothing to complain about it. From 3000 to 6000 RPM range, the torque is very much linear and excellent too. In that RPM range, one need not change the gear even for high quick accelerations. Just a slight twist of the throttle will propel you very fast and this is what I liked the most of this 650 parallel twin beauty. Above 6000 RPM, there is a madness in the acceleration and it becomes like a rocket. Frankly speaking, I never ride in that range since I get every thing in the < 6000 rpm range. So one need not rev the engine to extract the fun part. Hope this helps.

[Dust_Harl]

Thank you all for your wishes. While everything on the bike seems to be positive for now. One thing that I noticed a little was the vibration in good speed. Nowhere close to Harley but definitely something I need to figure out if it is on my bike are all across versys. Some of the forums have mentioned about foot peg vibration but in my case at certain speed I could feel the vibration but again kind of vanished the moment I accelerated. I need to ride a little more and try to find out if there is actually any issue. Interestingly I observed this on my return journey while the onward journey was very smooth. It could be the roads as well as the stretch that I was in while I noticed the vibration had few patches.


1. How is the pick-up and initial acceleration say compared to your Harley ( not sure which Harley you owned before)

I owned Superlow earlier and the acceleration in V650 is pretty good. Picks up good speed quiet quick. And yes powerdrift video observation is true and the front wheel may pop a little in case you accelerate more from 1st to second gear change. Unintentionally popped once a day before the ride and went with the flow.

2. What speeds were achieved in the range that you were in ( 4000-5000rpm)?

85 to 90 @ 4000 rpm and I could go beyond 100 on 5Krpm. There is a eco mode in Versys and it starts displaying if you keep you bike between 4K and 5K and kind of vanishes the moment you touch 120+. I tried to keep my bike in eco mode during running-in for most of the ride and in-turn I got a mileage for 24.9 on the display.

3. Since you come from a Harley and used to torque ( I am a big fan of torque and initial acceleration). Is the V650 characteristic similar? I mean hope you didn't have to revv it's guts out to come into the power band? I like to twist the throttle as little as possible as I love the power at lower revv range

The bike is re-tuned for lower gear torque is what I read in the reviews and I could experience that. The biked seems fast and I never had to do a catch-up with my Harley folks ranging from 883 to a fatboy and felt like I was managing the same speed as that of my harley without any road or beating to the engine. Always felt that there is enough reserve power for me to accelerate and move ahead if need be.

4. Is Dunlop the make of tyres for all V650 bikes delivered in India?

The two bikes that i have seen has Dunlop. So I suppose all bikes at least the initial lot will get Dunlop

5. From the pictures the bike doesn't look that tall. Same case with V1000. But, when I saw the bike in person it was quite intimidating as it was simply too big. How is V650 road presence?

The bike is definitely huge and is a head turner. Many people did notice and stop me to check which was this bike, how much did I pay and where is the silencer while I was riding in the city traffic. I guess Versys is shy for a pose and is definitely huge when you see it in person.

6. Finally, how much it costed you OTR Bangalore and what accessories have you installed or plan to install?

Costed me 7,75,838/- in Bangalore and here is the list of accessories I have ordered or planning:

1. Crash guard - Hepco Becker as it protects fairing compared to SW Motech
2. Front fork sliders from SW Motech
3. Radiator guard from Evotech
4. 3M tank protector and paint protector
5. Rear spools
6. Side stand raiser
7. LED lights
8. Top box - SH 37 or 48
9. Vsystem for lubbing

Right now first 5 are basis musts for me and look at other stuff later

[nasirkaka]

1. Crash guard - Hepco Becker as it protects fairing compared to SW Motech
2. Front fork sliders from SW Motech
3. Radiator guard from Evotech
4. 3M tank protector and paint protector
5. Rear spools
6. Side stand raiser
7. LED lights
8. Top box - SH 37 or 48
9. Vsystem for lubbing

Between Hepco Becker and SW Engine guard, the cost difference is about 3K which is not too much.

hepco backer:



SW:



Experts, which one would make more sense? I personally like the HB.
need to order one before the bike arrives.

[Shubz]

Hepco Becker any day for this model at least.

SW Motech for the Ducati is very different. Its like the HB of Kawa Covers much more of the fairing.

D-H - Congrats again. Nice initial report! Ride hard. Ride safe.

[Dust_Harl]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

Between Hepco Becker and SW Engine guard, the cost difference is about 3K which is not too much.

I ordered Hepco Becker through The bikings. http://www.thebikings.com/

It costed me 16800 and I suppose even SW Motech costs the same. Two fellow TBHPians own this venture and they can source it quick for you in case you are in Bangalore. They have tie up with most of the adventure bike accessory manufacturer / distributor including SWMotech, Hepco, Evotech, RG to name a few and they can be your single source for ordering most of your stuff. I can PM you their contact as I do not want to post their personal no. here.

[shan_ned]

Originally Posted by Dust_Harl

Thank you all for your wishes. While everything on the bike seems to be positive for now. One thing that I noticed a little was the vibration in good speed. Nowhere close to Harley but definitely something I need to figure out if it is on my bike are all across versys. Some of the forums have mentioned about foot peg vibration but in my case at certain speed I could feel the vibration but again kind of vanished the moment I accelerated. I need to ride a little more and try to find out if there is actually any issue. Interestingly I observed this on my return journey while the onward journey was very smooth. It could be the roads as well as the stretch that I was in while I noticed the vibration had few patches.

For the Ninjas, it is well known that the vibes do exist around the console/handle bar area at a certain rpm range (3000 to 3500 rpm) only. Anything above that, there exist none. Probably, the 3000-3500 rpm range is where the resonant frequency sets in, I guess. The vibes are less than moderate and there is no reason to worry. In fact the bike is so smooth around and above 4000 rpm that you start feeling the vibes ONLY when the rpm needle suddenly falls below that range. If you notice closely, you will feel some vibes around 60 kmph - 75 kmph (in 6th gear) and the moment you increase the speed, it vanishes. Say,if you are cruising at a constant speed in the 60 to 75 kmph range, you may even end up not noticing the vibes (though it actually exist) unless the transition to the very smooth rpm range happens. Hope it clarifies.

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by navin_v8

Avi mate I deliberately left the second line of your post. Being an ADV Tourer nut that I am here's another option for you to consider from the house of Honda. Yes the legendary Honda Africa Twin...Hope I have confused you.

Navin : Your being very naughty here. Trying to confuse a clear headed fella like me. Africa Twins look gorgeous and have a fairly good resemblance to the Tiger with respect to its body shape ( lean, mean and silencer placement) and got some chrome and colors to sizzle it up unlike the dark, morose black color of V650...Grrrrr

And, No; you failed in confusing me...LOL!

Originally Posted by Red Liner

The Africa twin will be nothing less than 12 big ones considering we all know of Hondas over enthusiastic pricing in recent years.

Twin and 12 big ones. I think this marketing strategy will ensure that AT will remain in showroom for a long time with Honda chasing customers to buy it ( unlike V650 situation)

Originally Posted by shan_ned

In that RPM range, one need not change the gear even for high quick accelerations. Just a slight twist of the throttle will propel you very fast and this is what I liked the most of this 650 parallel twin beauty. Above 6000 RPM, there is a madness in the acceleration and it becomes like a rocket. Frankly speaking, I never ride in that range since I get every thing in the < 6000 rpm range. So one need not rev the engine to extract the fun part. Hope this helps.

Thanks for this feedback. All of it sounded like Pink Floyd playing TIME in my ears

Glad to know it has good torque, acceleration and mid-range. I should have taken a test ride of N650 in the past.

Originally Posted by Dust_Harl

I owned Superlow earlier and the acceleration in V650 is pretty good. Picks up good speed quiet quick. And yes powerdrift video observation is true and the front wheel may pop a little in case you accelerate more from 1st to second gear change. Unintentionally popped once a day before the ride and went with the flow.

Lovely. Unintentionally wheelies are most welcome. Great feedback. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Dust_Harl

1. Crash guard - Hepco Becker as it protects fairing compared to SW Motech
2. Front fork sliders from SW Motech
3. Radiator guard from Evotech
4. 3M tank protector and paint protector
5. Rear spools
6. Side stand raiser
7. LED lights
8. Top box - SH 37 or 48
9. Vsystem for lubbing

Right now first 5 are basis musts for me and look at other stuff later

That's one long list of accessories. What is the rough cost for TOP 5 and TOP 9?

Originally Posted by shan_ned

For the Ninjas, it is well known that the vibes do exist around the console/handle bar area at a certain rpm range (3000 to 3500 rpm) only. Anything above that, there exist none.

Good to know this feedback too. (hope it's not a major irritant--I absolutely balk at any type of vibrations)

This speed/rpm range is rarely used so if vibrations are bearable then it can be safely ignored

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by Dust_Harl

you need to shell out at least about 50K to 75K for some basic musts like crash bar, fork, slider, radiator guard, 3M paint protector, tank pad and maybe paddock stand, center stand or V system. If you extend beyond the basic musts, then sky is the limit.

Congratulations! She's a keeper

Dont plan on getting a skid plate? Those pipes look mighty vulnerable. I would get that before the radiator guard honestly